EA's E3 conference: 'Dead Space 3,' 'Medal of Honor,' and more

Electronic Arts held the second major event of Monday’s pre-E3 press conference smorgasboard, showing off ten of their upcoming titles in LA’s Orpheum Theatre. When EA’s CEO John Riccitiello took the stage, he explained that the briefing would be “less like the Oscars, and more like Sundance” – a reference to the relatively pomp-free presentation, although a single minute of these games features more explosions and slow-motion-neck-stabs than a decade of Sundance. We’ll have a more in-depth look at each of these games once E3 kicks off tomorrow, but for now, here’s a quick rundown of all EA’s 2012 offerings:

Dead Space 3 – The latest entry in the space-madness franchise will add in a new character as part of a new co-op campaign. (Bad movie buffs and primordial sci-fi fans rejoice: The character is named “John Carver.”) From the video we saw, the sequel will move away from the series’ usual starship environs onto a planet filled with attacking beasties. We saw protagonist Isaac Clarke get eaten alive and try to fight his way out of a monster’s belly, Jabu Jabu style. February 2013.

Madden NFL 13 – The new Madden has added in a rudimentary story structure, allowing you to follow the complete career of a player. Hall of Fame wide receiver and Dancing With the Stars participant Michael “The Playmaker” Irvin came onstage to discuss the game’s refined graphics. Actually, he was just there to shake hands. August 28.

SimCity – The makers of the city-building reboot actually had a pair of games to announce. In a couple of weeks, SimCity Social hits Facebook. And they’re going in guns blazing – the trailer for Social fired a broadside across the Farmville juggernaut with the pointed phrase “More City. Less Ville.” That will be just a prologue to the main release of the new SimCity, which will allow you to take control of multiple metropolitan areas and even interact with other players’ cities. February 2013.

Battlefield Premium – Remember when Activision announced “Call of Duty Elite,” a subscription service for CoD fans that gave you access to exclusive content? Well, “Battlefield Premium” is the same thing, except for Battlefield. Available today.

Star Wars: The Old Republic – BioWare’s massive Star Wars game had the biggest subscription launch in history. To follow that up, they’re gearing up to release a wide variety of updates. Explore Planet Makeb! Experience new companions! Deal with the dangerous and grotesquely obese Hutt Cartel! The big announcement, though, was that the game will be free for all players up to level 15. That deal will take place in July.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter –This series has become an also-ran in the realm of military shooters, but the footage of an attack on a Somalian pirate enclave looked intriguing. Actually, with Call of Duty going into Terminator territory, this could be Medal of Honor’s year. October 23.

Fifa 13 – Social-media corporatese has become popular at E3, so it’s no surprise that EA trumpeted its iconic don’t-call-it-soccer franchise by describing the series as “Football’s Social Network.” The new game promises advanced graphics and lots of Lionel Messi. If you don’t know who this is, you probably don’t play Fifa. September.

The Untitled UFC Project – UFC president Dana White came onstage to announce that his wildly popular Mixed Martial Arts league was pairing up with EA Sports for a game. There was no footage, so let’s assume this is all happening sometime in 2013.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted – A sequel-reboot (seboot?) in which you will drive your car faster and faster, hitting vehicles and speeding off jumps and generally doing everything you can to get cops to chase you. October 30.

Crysis 3 – The futuristic alien-fighting threequel sends you into a broken-down New York City which has become an “urban rainforest.” By combining archery with exploding helicopters, the Crysis 3 demo combined two of the hottest trends of E3 so far. February 2013.